


You Are the Reason That I'm Still Breathing

by SmartZelda



Series: Soriku Oneshots [17]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Divergent, Fluff, Kairi is mentioned - Freeform, M/M, Soriku - Freeform, donald and goofy are there, no beta we die like men, riku keeps the keyblade, so is maleficent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26957755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmartZelda/pseuds/SmartZelda
Summary: Riku is overcome with jealousy and Destiny Islands is about to fall to darkness. He asks Sora to come with him, and this time Sora takes his hand. What happens now?Or, a 'what if' fic answering the question: "What would have happened if Sora took Riku's hand on Destiny Islands?"
Relationships: Riku & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Soriku Oneshots [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1499978
Comments: 10
Kudos: 56





	You Are the Reason That I'm Still Breathing

**Author's Note:**

> I first got possessed with writing this fic because of an art piece by @KataRataTata on Twitter. Under the art piece, @steamwhistler2 commented, wondering what Riku's plan was if Sora had taken his hand. Under their comment I gushed ideas, and then proceeded to write part of the outline of this fic in Xion's dms on discord. So, in a way, this fic is for both KataRataTata and Steam.  
> This is the fic, so I hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> Also, the art piece by @KataRataTata: https://twitter.com/KataRataTata/status/1310410034220879872?s=19

Riku's eyes are closed as he faces the sea from the little islet. He inhales, taking in a deep breath, and a thought--just a feeling from his heart--rises into his mind.

_Sora's coming._

And soon enough, the sound of wet shoes pelting wood strikes Riku's ears from behind.

"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!"

 _Of course. He can only think about_ **_her._ **

Sora's concerned--almost accusatory--tone annoys Riku, but he doesn't let the emotion take him over. "The door...has opened…"

"What?"

Riku's eyes shoot open and he stomps his left foot down to his left. His head follows his body--also facing his left now--and he side eyes Sora. "The door has opened, Sora!" He curls his hands into fists, completely facing Sora now. "Now we can go to the outside world!"

"What are you talking about? We gotta find Kairi!"

"Kairi's coming with us!" Riku shouts back.

_Come with me, Sora._

Sora gasps after hearing Riku's outburst.

"Once we step through, we might not be able to come back."

_Kairi only ever thinks about you._

"We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back."

_And you're only ever thinking about her._

"But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us!" He announces not just to Sora, but to the whole world, "I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

_But now that'll all change._

Riku reaches out his right hand for Sora, palm up. He smirks, but it's soft, inviting rather than playful.

_Come on, Sora. Let's go!_

"...Riku…?" A nervous look makes its way onto Sora’s face as he looks down to Riku's feet, where darkness pools, and the tendrils of it snake around his body.

Riku is unaware of the darkness surrounding him, even the storm at this point. All he can see is Sora, rushing forward, desperately reaching for Riku's hand with his own right hand, palm down.

_Just a little bit more and you'll make it._

Darkness flares up around Sora, and from Riku's point of view, Sora's hand seems like it's about to retract.

"...Sora?" The annoyance--the anger--rises in Riku's heart again. Of course he knew deep down Sora wouldn't take his hand, but he had really hoped that he would.

_He really doesn't care about me anymore._

"Riku."

Riku's eyes go wide as Sora's face re-enters his field of vision, his hand held in his.

Riku's hand goes numb as he gives Sora's perpetually warm hand a squeeze, not believing Sora to really be there at first. He opens his mouth as if to say something, but nothing comes out.

_Sora…_

The waves lapping at the shore of Riku's heart somehow carry his fears away, and all of the annoyance, the anger, and (most of) the jealousy.

How can this be?

All it takes is a single gesture--for Sora to take his hand--to tell him everything.

 _Sora_ **_does_ ** _care about me…_

Tears almost well up in Riku's eyes, and his face softens once more. His mouth relaxes into the softest smile as he gazes at Sora's face, and into his strikingly deep sky-blue eyes. He squeezes Sora's hand again.

Sora's face softens as well, and he smiles back at Riku. He reaches for Riku's other hand, taking it into his own, as he gazes up into Riku's soft turquoise eyes.

The whole world is forgotten to both boys now. There's no heartless, no storm, no darkness, no trees, no sea, no anything. Neither one of them notices as darkness greedily winds it's tendrils around them.

Riku can't remember the last time he felt this way, happiness and some other feeling he can't place overflowing his heart.

~

"...Urgh…" Riku groans. He lifts his head from the hard ground and gets onto his knees, placing his palms flat to hold his body up. His hair pools off his shoulders and around his head, obscuring his vision of everything except the smooth stone beneath his hands.

Riku takes a few deep breaths, and after a little while, he remembers. "Sora!" He scrambles onto his feet, tossing his hair back over his shoulders, but his racing heart calms after he whips around, seeing Sora lying there on the ground.

Sora's laying face up, one arm across his chest with the other lying extended on the ground, and his legs are spread out. He has the most peaceful look on his face, and Riku can't help from breaking out into a soft smile.

_His face is always so peaceful when he's asleep…_

Riku squats and reaches his hands out, placing them on Sora's shoulders to shake them. "Sora."

No response.

" _Sora_."

Still no response.

"Sora!" Riku starts shaking Sora faster, and this time he hears a groan.

"...mmm…"

"Sora!"

"...mm...uh...ugh… Ri… Riku…?" Sora eventually opens his eyes as he wakes up and squints up at Riku. "Riku, where-?"

"Come on." Riku interrupts Sora, taking his hand without a second thought. He stands back up, pulling Sora to his feet with him. Sora wobbles for a moment, but Riku instantly shifts a hand to his shoulder to steady him.

"What happened?" Sora asks once his brain is awake and his body is finally stable. "Where is this?"

Riku shakes his head with a sigh. "I don't know."

"The last thing I remember was… We were on the islands and… There was a storm… We were holding hands…"

"That's the last thing I remember too," Riku says. Though once the last line registers in his brain, Riku has to fight to keep a blush from spreading across his cheeks.

Sora turns his head to get a look at their surroundings and gasps loudly.

There's a sinking feeling in Riku's heart as he turns to look at whatever Sora's looking at, and he too gasps.

An enormous castle looms over the two boys ominously with all of its various twisting towers--Hollow Bastion.

"Someone lives here," Riku remarks upon noticing smoke rising from openings in the top of the castle, and Sora nods.

A huge platform suddenly appears in front of the piece of land Sora and Riku are on with a flash of pink light. So, despite the obvious nature of the castle, Sora and Riku start forward, jumping atop the platform. Neither one says a word as the platform begins to move, ferrying them to the castle. Sure moving platforms that appear out of nowhere are odd and all, but their minds are focused on the mysterious castle.

_Who could live there?_

Riku's question is answered when he and Sora jump off the platform onto the marble floor of the castle, and a deep laugh sounds throughout.

"I see… I have _visitors_ …"

Riku's eyes dart around him and Sora, trying to locate the source of the voice, just as Sora yells, "Who's there?!"

"Show yourself!" Riku demands.

" _Ask_ …"

Sora and Riku stumble backwards as darkness appears out of thin air, the inky black and shadowy purple tendrils twisting and winding into a large oval, big enough for a person to walk through.

A woman emerges from the darkness--a dark corridor. She wears a flowing black dress that trails behind her, matching the black horns protruding from the upper sides of her head, and contrasting with her pale face. In her left hand, she holds a long brown scepter with a green glass ball sitting atop it. As she walks, she not only exudes confidence as she holds her head high, but emanates darkness.

"And you shall _receive_ …" An almost mischievous smile plays upon the woman's lips as she takes a good look at the two boys before her. "I...am Maleficent."

_Maleficent…_

"And who might _you_ be?" she asks, gesturing at Sora and Riku. "What are two...young men such as _yourselves_ doing _here_? In _my_ castle?" She reaches out to stroke Sora's chin, but Riku quickly swats her hand away and she lets out a laugh.

"Darkness...swallowed our home…" Riku answers, holding his arm out in front of Sora, a cautionary, but annoyed, look upon his face.

"I see. In that case, since I'm so _generous_...I could let you stay here with me."

Sora pushes Riku's arm down and takes a step forward. "What do you want with us?"

"What do _I_ want? Nothing," she answers with a chuckle. "I just want to help two lost boys. That's all."

Riku raises an eyebrow. "And why do I get the feeling you think you can _get_ something out of helping us?" 

"What _I_ get out of helping _you_?" Maleficent points at herself. "My dear boy… What you _should_ wonder is how you could benefit from _me_. I am a mistress of darkness after all…" She locks her eyes on Riku's, gazing into the very depths of his soul. "And _you_ have _such_ potential with darkness like _that_. If nurtured...you could do _anything_ \--get _anything_."

Riku stays silent and Maleficent adds, "You could banish all fear, and control the very darkness itself."

Riku looks down at his feet, deep in thought, as Maleficent circles around to his back.

Sora jumps, turning to face Maleficent. "Riku doesn't need anything like _that_! He doesn't need to be afraid when he's got me. And he can get _anything_ when he's got friends like me 'n Kairi 'n Tidus and Selphie and Wakka to help! He doesn't need the darkness." Sora shakes his head.

Riku looks back up.

_As long as I still have Sora, I will never be afraid._

"Oh? You say he doesn't need it as long as he has _you_? What, then, will he do if you...go away?"

Despite what sounds like an obvious threat, Sora takes a step towards Maleficent again, "Then I'll still be there in his heart. Even if I'm gone, I'll never leave."

"Is that so…? Should we…" Maleficent laughs deeply, the laugh containing malicious intent, "test that theory?" She raises her staff. "How would he react--how would he _feel_ \--if you left right _now_."

Sora and Riku freeze in fear, but one look at each other's horrified faces and they whip around, taking each other's arm, and run, flying through the dark corridor behind them.

Maleficent's laugh chases behind them.

~

"So _this_ is the keybearer. He sure is in a sorry state."

Sora sighs, looking down at Riku as he sits on the bed beside his unconscious body, "It's because he protected me in the darkness."

"It's a miracle he's even breathing," a girl with short black hair, similar to Kairi's, wearing what she insists is a ninja outfit, interjects. "You better call Aerith in here, Squall. He might need attention."

"That's Leon," Leon corrects, coldly. "And he'll probably be fine. I don't see any injuries. Just an overexposion to darkness."

"So…" Sora looks up at Leon, eyes shining with hope, "You think he'll wake up soon?"

Leon waves him off as he turns around, "If you keep waiting here for him, he will."

"And if you believe!" Yuffie adds with a smile.

Sora nods, smiling, before he turns back to gaze softly at Riku.

~

"You were...looking for me?" Riku points at himself, eyebrows scrunch up in confusion.

"Uh huh," Donald and Goofy nod.

"They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the keyblade."

Riku doesn't have to look behind him to know Leon spoke, but Sora does turn.

"Hey, why don't you come with us?" Goofy offers. "We can go to other worlds on our vessel."

Riku looks down, but Sora pipes up, excitement evident in his voice, "Woah, Riku! We could finally get a chance to see other worlds! And we could look for Kairi too!"

Riku sighs, "I dunno..."

_I've always wanted to see the worlds with him...and I want to look for Kairi too, but..._

Seeing Riku's expression, Sora frowns, turning to Donald and Goofy, "We could find Kairi too, right?"

"Of course," Donald answers with a smile.

Goofy pulls Donald aside into a mini huddle, leaning down to his height. "Are you sure?" he whispers.

"Does it matter?" Donald shakes his head. He points back at Riku. "But we need him to come back with us to help us find the king."

"Riku, go with them. Especially if you want to find your friend," Leon speaks up again from behind Riku and Sora.

"Riku. This might be our only chance," Sora reminds him, frowning.

"I...okay…" Riku finally concedes.

"But you can't come along looking like that." Donald wiggles a finger at Riku. "Understand?"

Riku raises an eyebrow.

"No frowning. No sad face. Okay?"

"Yeah, ya gotta look funny, like us!" Goofy adds with a "hyuck", leaning his face down near Donald's.

Donald pushes Goofy's face away, an annoyed look on his face, before smiling at Riku again. "This boat runs on happy faces."

"Happy?" Riku asks.

"Yeah, Riku! Watch me. Like this!"

Donald and Goofy watch in anticipation as Sora bends over for a moment before bringing just his head back up. He makes the biggest smile he can, showing as much teeth as possible, and looks upwards with his eyes to make a funny face.

Riku can't help but laugh immediately after Sora makes that weird face, and Donald and Goofy too burst out into laughter.

"That's one funny face!" Goofy remarks in the middle of his laughter.

After relaxing his face, Sora looks up at Riku again. "We definitely have to go, Riku!"

_Even if I refuse...he insists until I let him... Sora's persistent like that…_

A soft smile suddenly sprouts onto Riku's face as he thinks about Sora, and he nods in agreement.

"We?" Goofy wonders aloud.

"No, he can't come!" Donald crosses his arms.

"What?!" Riku turns to Donald.

"Forget it!"

"I won't." Riku frowns, turning around. "I'm not leaving without Sora."

"But-"

"And I'm not letting him leave without me!" Sora frowns, putting a hand on Riku's shoulder.

"Of course you can come," Goofy smiles at Sora, and Donald pulls him back into the mini huddle.

"We're not babysitters, Goofy. All we need is the key."

"But he won't come unless we let the other one come too. We have to find the king, 'member?"

"He's dead weight," Donald grumbles. "Can't we just leave him and make the one with the key come?"

"Couldn't you just teach him magic?"

"Not just _anyone_ can learn magic, you big dumbbell!" Donald whispers back.

"You could try. We can't leave him if we want to find the king."

Donald grumbles something to himself inaudibly as he turns back around. "Okay. _He_ can come too."

The smile returns to Sora's face as Donald extends his hand, palm down. "Donald Duck."

"Name's Goofy!" Goofy extends his hand palm down over Donald's.

"I'm Sora!" Sora extends his own hand over Goofy's, then he looks at Riku expectantly.

Riku sighs before smiling at Sora, extending his hand over Sora's own. "Riku."

"All for one, one for all," Goofy says the moment Riku's hand joins the pile.

As Riku and Sora follow Donald and Goofy to their ship, Sora turns to Riku with the biggest smile on his face. "Can you believe it, Riku? We're gonna get to look for Kairi and see the worlds together!"

Seeing Sora like this, a feeling of warmth that Riku can't explain blooms in the bottom of his heart, not for the last time, and he just can't help but smile softly at Sora.

Sora gazes up at the sky and sighs, almost whispering to himself, "Me 'n Riku. Saviors of the worlds."

~

"You're gonna teach me magic?!" Sora looks at Donald, stars in his eyes.

"Yes, yes," Donald answers, rolling his eyes. "But remember! Not everyone has the gift!"

"Okay, I get it! Teach me!"

Donald sighs. "Let's make this quick. First, you need to find a staff. For now, find something in the forest."

"Okay!" Sora exclaims before starting into a run, excitedly searching around the forest for something to use as a suitable staff.

Riku smiles at Sora as he watches the scene, but he's shocked out of his gaze as Goofy puts a gloved hand on his shoulder.

"We'll go find that evidence for Alice."

Riku opens his mouth to speak before Goofy cuts him off with reassurance.

"Don't worry. Donald can take care of him."

Riku sighs before nodding. He starts off deeper into the forest, summoning the Kingdom Key as Goofy follows with his shield.

_Sora can take care of himself just fine. At least Donald is there if something happens..._

~

"Some kid took out that big heartless! Who'd have thought it?" The first guy says, looking at the table in the center of the attending group, where small projections of Sora, Riku, Donald, and Goofy stand.

"Such is the power of the Keyblade. A mere boy couldn't hold such strength," the second guy decides.

"Why don't we turn him into a heartless?" A woman suggests, breaking into laughter, "That'll settle things quick enough."

"And the brat's new friends are the king's lackeys," a third guy remarks. "Swoggle me eyes, they're all bilge rats by the look of them."

"You're no prize yourself," the fourth retorts with a laugh.

"Shut up!" The third guy lands a strike on the fourth.

"Enough." Maleficent enters the dark room, striding over to the table in the center with the projections. "The Keyblade has chosen him, and he has so much potential. He's stronger than any ordinary boy with the amount of both inner darkness and light _he_ possesses." Maleficent puts a hand under her chin, pondering aloud with a smirk, "Will it be he who conquers the darkness with light? Or will he swallow the light with his darkness? Either way, he'll surely be quite useful…"

**Author's Note:**

> And now the boys are saving the worlds together looking for Kairi. How does it end I wonder?  
> Anyways, I have plenty more ideas for this au, so I could turn it into a full fic if I wanted, but I've already got a few of those I need to finish before I can start any more.


End file.
